How does John 5:45 challenge us to rely on Christ over the law? Setting the Scene John 5 records an intense exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders after He healed the man at Bethesda. They are outraged that He healed on the Sabbath and claimed equality with God. Into that tension comes John 5:45: “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.” The Accuser Switch • The leaders trust the Law given through Moses for their standing with God. • Jesus declares that Moses, the very one they esteem, will rise as their accuser because they have missed the One to whom Moses pointed (John 5:46). • Dependence on rules without faith in Christ turns the Law from guide into prosecutor. Why the Law Cannot Save • The Law exposes sin but offers no power to remove it (Romans 3:20). • It functions as a tutor leading us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24). • “The law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God” (Hebrews 7:19). Christ: The Fulfillment • “The Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). • Every sacrifice, festival, and precept foreshadows Jesus as the ultimate Lamb and Priest (Luke 24:27). • By fulfilling the Law, He offers what the Law never could—complete forgiveness and a new heart (Hebrews 10:1–10). Personal Reliance on Christ • Rest your hope not in personal rule-keeping but in the finished work of Jesus at the cross. • Approach the Father with confidence because accusation has been silenced by His blood (Romans 8:33–34). • Allow the Spirit to write God’s commands on your heart, producing obedience from love rather than fear (Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 8:4). Practical Takeaways • Read Scripture to find Christ, not merely moral lessons. • Let any sense of failure under the Law drive you to the Savior who fulfilled it. • Celebrate freedom in Christ while honoring the moral clarity the Law still provides. Reflective Summary John 5:45 turns the tables on legalistic confidence. Moses becomes an accuser when his words are severed from their fulfillment in Jesus. The verse invites every heart to shift its trust—from the impossible standard of self-righteous law-keeping to the perfect righteousness freely given in Christ. |
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